The Girl that never grew up
by Pixiedustgurl
Summary: Alexia's mother died when she was young and Alexia was forced to grow up...but one day she meets an unexpected person! Please R
1. Background on Alexia

            "And they lived happily ever after." The young mother said as she closed one of her daughter's favorite fairy tales. Her daughter, who was tucked into her tiny bed, looked at her with eyelids heavy with sleep and eyes wide open. Suddenly, as if drawn out of her fantasy world, the girl looked at her mother. 

            "Mommy, I have something to tell you." The little girl said as she sat up further in her bed.

            "Yes sweetie?" her mother asked.

            "I just want to let you know that if you come into my room one morning and I'm not there, don't worry." The girl said as she looked down and fiddled with her blankets.

            "Why should I not be worried?" the mother asked although, she already knew the answer.

            "Because, I went to Neverland with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell! I'll fight pirates, swim with the mermaids, and fly!" With this said, the little girl grabbed her wooden sword; which she had gotten at a Renaissance Faire; and began to jump up and down, slashing at the air.

            The mother chuckled at her daughter's antics. She could remember a time when she was like her young one. "Now, now dear. Come, it's late and you do have school tomorrow." 

  The little girl dropped her sword on her bed and crawled reluctantly back into the covers. "Oh mommy! We forgot to say prayers!" The little girl cried as her mother began to stand up.

            "Why yes we did. Come, let's say them." Her mother said as she tried to kneel down.

            "Dear God, please make my mommy better, please help daddy do his job correctly, and most of all…please let me go to Neverland!" The mother smiled as her daughter said 'Amen'. Her daughter all ways asked for the same thing each night.

            "Good night dear." Her mother said as she bent down and kissed her daughter good night.

            "Night mommy." The little girl said as she kissed her mother's bald head. As her mother was heading out the door, the girl asked her a question. "Mommy, will you always be here, even when I'm older?"

            The mother smiled, "Yes dear. Of course I will." With that said, she shut the door and the little girl drifted off to sleep.

            ******************************11 years later**************************

       Alexia woke up in a cold sweat. She sat up and realized that she had been having the same dream again. She picked up her stuffed animal that she always slept with and gave it a squeeze. It had been 11 years since her mother had passed away from cancer and Alexia missed her every day. She would soon be celebrating her 17th birthday and her mother would not be there to experience it. 

            'In fact,' Alexia thought, 'she hasn't experienced a lot of things. Like my sweet 16 or me getting my license.' She heaved a sigh and looked at the bed beside her, where her father was snoring contentedly. Her and her father had to move around quite a lot and that meant at the tender age of 5, Alexia had to grow up. Something she really did not want to do at such a young age. Since her father could not bear to live in the house where his wife had died, they kept moving around and every month they were at a different place. They stayed in hotels, since they moved so often, and Alexia was home schooled, thanks to the Internet. She never made any real friends and her father realized this when Alexia was 9. So for her tenth birthday, she received a pet bird, a Hanns Macaw to be exact. Belle was Alexia's only REAL friend since Alexia hardly ever went into the town where they were staying. She bought all her clothes off the Internet so as not to bother her dad at his work.

            'His work,' Alexia thought, 'is always keeping him on the go and never with me. But we need the money and so he must work.' She thought about her father's work. He was a gourmet chief and so his work demanded a lot out of him. He would leave around 8 and then come home around 7 pm or so. She was glad that he enjoyed his work because it did take his mind off her dead mother. But she really just wanted to spend time with him. He hardly noticed she was there, unless it was to tell her bird to be quiet. 

            Alexia leaned against the baseboard of her bed and closed her eyes. She began to think about what her mother was like. She remembered what her dad would tell her. Tess, Alexia's mother, was tall and beautiful. She had ebony hair that went down to her shoulders and pale ivory skin. She was, in fact, a model in real life until Alexia was born. Being five feet and eight inches tall, she seemed like a giant to Alexia. Her light blue eyes always sparkled with love and adoration for her husband, Xander, and Alexia. Alexia remembered how her dad would say that she inherited her mother's looks. At five feet and six inches tall, Alexia had gotten her mother's hair, pale ivory skin, and of course Tess's light blue eyes. Alexia felt her eyes start to moisten and switched her mind to what had gone on earlier that day. 

            Although Alexia was forced to grow up, she still remained a kid inside. She never really wanted to grow up and so forced her self to grow up on the outside, yet retain a child like view of the world. So when school on the Internet had ended that day around 1:00 pm, Alexia decided that she would play…make-believe. So she dug around in the many boxes that inhabited the medium sized room until she discovered what she was looking for. She pulled out her wooden sword and looked at Belle, who looked back at her with one eye. She grinned mischievously and took Belle out of her cage. With Belle on her shoulder, she jumped on the bed and began to bounce up and down on it. While slashing and parrying with the air, she would call out, at times, things like "Take that you old codfish!" Belle, who was on her shoulder, took off flying and acted like she was attacking an invisible pirate. Belle would also chime in with things such as, "Arr!! Shiver me timbers!" Then the bird fell from the sky and rolled over. Alexia stopped bouncing and looked at Belle who was playing dead. Then she turned back to the invisible Hook and said, "You killed me first mate!"

            Then Belle, who was supposed to be dead, began to imitate a clock ticking. Alexia let out a childish giggle and saw that "Hook" was scared. So she took one last stab at him and watched him 'fall' into the water with the crocodile, meanwhile Belle imitated a scream then a loud SNAP!

            Alexia looked back at her pet bird and grinned childishly. "Arrr! The Jolly Roger be ours!"

            Alexia grinned and felt her eyes grow heavy. She took a look at the clock which read 2:58 am. She got back under the covers and closed her eyes.

            She heaved a sigh of content and murmured, "I wish I could go to Neverland."

Not knowing that the next day, her dream would come true. 


	2. A surprise visitor and what happens!

Chapter 2

            The boy heaved a sigh of boredom. He was laying on his back in a tree branch looking down. He picked another leaf and it silently fell to the ground. Peter had to admit, he was bored as bored as can be. The Lost boys were off somewhere with Indian scouts and Hook was under the weather and Peter had already tormented him enough that day. The mermaids, though they were often thought of being sweet, were off probably drowning some innocent pirate or animal that happened to stray near the water's edge.

            Suddenly a ball of light flew towards him and landed on his chest. "Hullo Tink." He greeted the tiny pixie as he picked another leaf.

            The pixie chatted away with the sound of bells tinkering. It was a beautiful language to Peter, but to others it just sounded like bells. 

            "Tink, how about an adventure?" Peter asked as he sat up. The pixie smiled and nodded. She then proceeded to act out attacking Hook and scaring him with the crocodile.

            "Nah. I wasn't thinking about that Tink…how about we go to the human world and see what they are up to?" Peter said his eyes gleaming with curiosity. The other humans that grew up and tiny children always fascinated him. He always found it quite humorous watching grown-ups run around, like chickens with out any heads, and doing stuff that seemed impossible to do. But he also didn't like it when the parents would not attend nor care about what their children would do. That's how he created Neverland for the most part. Some of the Lost boys were from dysfunctional homes while others had been kicked out of their houses at a young age and remained unloved. He thought about it and then turned to Tinkerbell. 

            "Come on Tink, let's go!" With this said he flew off into the sky giggling away, and Tink, who followed reluctantly, gave off an exasperated sigh.

            ******************************************************************

School for Alexia had finished and so for a while, Alexia decided to explore the hotel where they were staying at. So far, she knew that the hotel's name was the Holiday Inn and that they were in Towson, Maryland. She also knew, thanks to the Internet, that there was a large mall nearby, but she promised her dad that she wouldn't wonder off on her own. After a nice 2 hour tour she was still bored, and so she decided to try and find her real sword that she won on Ebay. After recovering her sheath for it, she finally pulled out her sword. It was, not a sword, but more like a dagger. Still, she loved it and had treasured it since she had won it. She found some oil and began to clean it with the television on in the back. A music video by N'Sync came on, and she rolled her eyes. 

            Belle, however, began to sing the words to Bye, Bye, Bye. Except, instead of saying bye, bye, bye, she would say Fly, fly fly. Then proceed to fly around the room. Alexia laughed at her bird's antics and put down her sword. She pulled out her video camera and began to film Belle's comedy scene.  After the music video had finished, Alexia turned it to the news channel and watched some of the 6'o clock news. She ordered room service and asked for a turkey sandwich plain with mayo, salt and pepper to be brought up along with a large Coke. 

            While waiting for her order, she opened the curtains to look outside. It was dark, course then again it was early January, and it seemed like it would snow at any moment. Quite suddenly, a shadow flew by her window. She blinked and then looked again, only to see a tiny ball of light fly by. 

            "Either I'm losing it, or I have spent way too much time watching the X-files." She said to no one particular. She was about to put on her jacket when a knock came and a voice said "Room service."

            She ran to get the door, and opened it up. The young waiter wheeled the trolley in and Alexia gave him a tip. He thanked her and stepped outside, shutting the door for her. 

            Alexia looked at the window then back at her food. She then ran to a box where she thought the flashlight had been stored. Rummaging around, she closed her hand on it and brought it up, only to find it was…

            "A candle?" Alexia asked as she looked at Belle. Belle blinked and Alexia shrugged. She searched the drawers until she came up with some matches. Putting her jacket on, she then whistled for Belle to come to her. Belle flew to her shoulder and Alexia quickly attached Belle's leash and put on a mini jacket for Belle. Belle immediately began to whine, but Alexia told her it was for her own good.  

            Lighting the candle and making sure Alexia had the extra room key, she headed out of the hotel. 

            "Doesn't this look strange? A girl with her jacket on and she's holding a lit candle while walking down a perfectly lit hallway. She has a bird on her shoulder which has a leash on and its own jacket." Alexia mumbled to Belle who began to snicker. The duo headed towards the main entrance and got stares from the people at the desk. She ignored them and headed out the doors. 

            "Now, I swear it landed over in this little grove of trees." Alexia whispered to Belle. She walked towards the spot where she had thought the shadow…thing might have landed….

            ******************************************************

    Peter landed with ease and began to look around. "Brr…it's a little chilly, huh Tink?" The young boy asked as he looked at his fairy. She mimicked rubbing her arms to keep warm and Peter smiled at her. He looked up at the trees and began to step backwards. 

            "Huh…never saw such small trees. Nor ones that usually have leaves like needles on them." He continued to back up until he hit something…or someone. For the 'thing' said "Ouch!" 

            He turned around only to hear the thing issue a gasp and then all he saw was stars…and then pitch blackness.


	3. Bark! Bark!

Alexia looked down on the 'thing' that she had hit with a pole that she had found by the pool. She blinked, shook her head, and then looked again. No! It couldn't be! But the more she tried to deny it, the more it seemed real.

            "Belle…I just hit….a boy!" She didn't know what to do. She couldn't exactly leave him there to freeze, but how in the world would she get him back to the room? She then remembered a back entrance that hardly anybody used, unless their room was near it. She looked around and made sure no one was around. Then, picking up his arms, she began to drag him across the ground. She walked slowly to the back part of the hotel, and when she had reached the door, she looked inside. Not a soul was around and so opening the door, with great caution as to not hit the unconscious boy's head, she dragged the boy inside.

            "Good…thing…we're on the first floor." She huffed to Belle who bobbed her head.

            Alexia arrived at her room 10 minutes later and slid the key through the lock. After hearing the resounding click, she pushed the door open and dragged him inside. She shrugged off her coat and undid Belle as well. Then, turning on a lamp near the bed, she looked at the boy. 

            "What strange attire he wears." She said to herself. It was true; the boy was dressed in strange attire, especially for winter. He wore leaves sewn together all over his body, and it was connected by one strap that went around his shoulders. His hair was a dirty blond and looked like it had never been…washed. He was muscularly built and she just knew she'd have a problem putting him on her bed. She studied him from different angles and finally she picked him up and plopped him down on the bed. She noticed that a bruise was forming from where she had hit him on the forehead. She headed off to the bathroom and started to prepare a bag of ice for the boy's head, and a bucket of water to clean the wounds on the back of his legs.

            ****************************************************************

   Peter began to stir. He heard barking off in the far distance and slowly he opened his eyes. The barking grew closer and when Peter opened his eyes, he was surprised to find a bird on his chest.

            "Bark! Bark!" the bird said as Peter sat up further in a bed. 

            "Tink…This bird is…barking at me." He then took in his surroundings. He wasn't outside and Tink was no where near to be found. He didn't want to move afraid that this 'barking' dog/bird might attack him. He reached up to scratch his head when he felt the large goose egg that had formed on his head. He winced in pain and then the bird/dog became quiet. 

            "Alexia!" The bird shouted and Peter winced as the sound pierced his ears. A girl came from the bathroom carrying a basin and a bag of something. He noticed that she was at the age where she should have been grown up…but something told him that this girl was young inside. 

            "Oh good you're up. I'm terribly sorry for taking a swing at you. I didn't quite know what to do. I guess I was scared." The girl said as she sat down on the edge of the bed and placed the bag along with the basin on the nightstand. "What's your name?" She said looking at him. He felt her light blue eyes pierce his soul.

            "My name is… Peter…Pan!" The boy said as he looked back at her.

   The girl issued a gasp and Peter saw her eyes widen. Then she slumped to the floor in a dead faint. Peter didn't know quite what to do, he had never seen a girl faint before. He slowly edged himself off the other side of the bed, and went to where the girl lay. Her birddog was no longer barking but instead sitting on her stomach, clucking softly. He looked around and saw the basin. Flying over her, he dipped his hands in the basin and hovered over her face. He let the water drip on her face and when he had run out of water, he landed to kneel beside her. He saw her stir and watched as her eyes fluttered open.

            "Are you…okay?" He asked as she began to sit-up. 

            "Yes, yes I'm fine. You just surprised me that's all." The girl said as she put her birddog on her shoulder.

            "Do you have a name, girl?" Peter asked as he sat on the opposite bed.    

            "Mm mh," The girl said as she handed Peter the bag filled with ice, "My name is Alexia Tessa-Marie Parrish. Put that bag of ice on your bruise. It will take some of the swelling out."

            Peter did as he was told and watched as Alexia pulled out some fluffy stuff and stick some liquid on it.

            "What's that for?" He asked not really wanting to know the answer.

            "Well…the hydrogen peroxide is to make your cuts better and then well...I'll rub on some ointment and your cuts should heal. Although, I might have to check to make sure there aren't any rocks or small pebbles embedded in the skin. Here, let me see your legs." She looked at his legs and noticed that there were no stones in it. 

            "Well the good thing is that there are no stones in your legs. Now, hold still this might sting." She began to apply the peroxide to the small cuts. She looked up to see how Peter was faring and noticed that he wore a grimace on his face. "Oh, does it burn…here; I'll air it for you." She began to fan air to the cuts and Peter noticed that it lessened the pain and sting…some.

            Just then, there came a knock at the window. Belle noticed a little light flying around. She flew to the window and began to bark at the window.

            "Bark! Bark!!" Belle said and then began to growl at it.

            "Tink!" Peter cried as he noticed it was desperately trying to get in. He flew to the window, which caused another gasp from Alexia and then a solid thud. Peter was unsure of whether he should let Tink in or care for the young girl that fainted yet again….He chose Tink.

            "Back! Back you evil birddog!" He said as he shooed the bird away from the window. The bird moved further down the windowsill but continued to bark at the flying ball of light.

  After a few moments, Peter opened the window only to find to his dismay that there was a shield of some sort. Unable to break the 'shield' (which was the window screen), he took out his small blade and cut through the 'shield'. Tink, glad to get in, flew in…and right into Belle's beak. She cursed up a storm to the bird who, oddly enough, cocked her head as if she understood what Tink was saying. Peter decided that it was okay to leave Tink and the birddog alone. He looked down at Alexia who was beginning to move. He decided that she would be okay and began to explore the room. He 'accidentally' turned the T.V on and music blasted out of the stereo. Alexia, hearing the music, sat up. She looked at Pan, who had his ears covered. Seeing the remote by his feet, she dived for it and turned the T.V off. 

            Peter smiled, "Oh the cleverness of me!"

      Alexia rolled her eyes. Picking herself up off the floor, she made her way back to the bed and sat it. Then, she began to eat her sandwich. Peter, not caring what the girl did, continued to explore. He noticed Alexia's sword and picked it up. Turning it over in his hands, he looked at the well-shined blade.

            "Nice sword. Ever fight pirates with it?" He asked still looking at the sword.

            "Pirates? Me fighting? I make-believe I do, but no…I've never really fought a pirate. Though I believe it would be kind of interesting." She said as she sipped at her coke.

            Peter thought on that comment, "Well, you know, I fight pirates' everyday! You could join the Lost Boys and me. We are in need of a mother." 

            Alexia's eyes sparkled with joy. "Go back to Neverland and fight pirates! Oh, I would dearly like to meet Tigerlily, and swim in the lagoon. Of course, I'd have to beware of the mermaids for although they are sweet they will sweetly drown you. But I do not know if I could be a mother to all those Lost Boys."

            Peter, whose mouth had dropped for the fact that this girl knew so much about Neverland, just stared at her.

            "What, did I say something wrong?" Alexia asked looking at Peter.

            "No, it's just…are you sure you've never been to Neverland?" Peter asked her, as he looked right back at her with his blue eyes.

            "I am quite sure. But when I was a little child, my mother would tell me stories about Neverland. Every night I would wish and dream I could go to Neverland and fight pirates!" Alexia said as she got a far-away dreamy look.

            "Ah…well, can you tell stories?" Peter asked her as he looked around the room once again.

            "Well…I know some…" she began.

            "Good," Peter said and he walked towards her, "Then you shall be our mother!"

            "But, Peter…I do not know…I'd have to pack and…well…oh but to go to Neverland…"she said dreamily.

            "So is that a yes?" Peter questioned her…just inches from where she was sitting. Alexia considered on his offer…what did she have here? A father who never really noticed her? She had no mother…and no friends so she really wouldn't be leaving anything behind. Peter looked at her…and although she only knew him from knocking him out and taking care of him, she felt like she knew him her whole life.

            "Alright…we shall come." She said looking at him.

            "We?" Peter questioned her.

            "Yes, me and Belle. Do you really think I would leave my pet behind?" She looked at the bird who was her best friend.

            "As you wish it." Peter said as he shrugged.

    Alexia smiled and headed towards the nearest box. She remembered her mother had kept a diary when she was a little girl and Alexia knew where it was. Within two minutes, she pulled the small leather bound diary out of a small box. Then, she pulled out two photos. Peter, who's interest was piqued, floated over to where Alexia was kneeling. 

            "Who's that?" Peter asked looking at the photos. 

            "The one is of my mother when she was a child…the other is us together when I was young." Alexia said trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.

            Peter just looked at Tess's younger photo. He could swear he knew her…but that didn't matter.

            "Come on…we must go." He said forgetting that it was getting later.

            "Oh…but Peter…how will I fly?" she asked standing up and putting the photos and diary in her pocketbook.

            "That'll be easy." He flew to where Tink was still chatting with Belle. Picking her up, he shook a little fairy dust into his other hand. He flew back and landed in front of Alexia. She smiled and closed her eyes. She knew exactly what to do. She thought about her mother being alive and she thought about meeting Orlando Bloom.

            "Open your eyes," Peter commanded. She did what she was told and found herself floating a foot or two above the ground. A giggle issued from her mouth and she flew around the room. Peter smiled and looked at Tink. The small fairy glared at the young girl and flew back to Belle.

            "Are you ready to leave?" Peter asked. Alexia nodded then remembered something.

            "Hold on…I want to bring something else." She landed, not gracefully, beside the desk in which her sword and its scabbard sat. She picked both things up and strapped the sword to her side.

            "Alright lets go." With this said, Peter led the way with Tink at his side and close behind him was Alexia and Belle.


	4. Author Note yay!

Author note:

            Hey guys!! This is my first author note and probably won't be the last. Lol. So far, when I received one of my four reviews…yar!! I need more!!...they told me not to make it like the other peter pan fics. You know…the character and peter always fall in love rite away…well not to spoil anyone's interest…SORRY!! But they will fall in love…although not rite away….So I would like idea's about what should happen…I am kinda going through writer's block but with all my classes, it's tough to think of what to write…u gotta understand that A.P Biology and A.P. U.S. History…it's hard not the relate stuff to those subjects lol….so if you have any idea drop me a line…oh yeah!! And this is also my first fan fic. ever…so yeah…not looking for sympathy….just letting people know wats up and wats not…please…I need comments on my bird Belle…my one friend say my bird is on drugs…I highly doubt that…but please tell me what you think of Belle…and not to spoil anything else…but the connection between Alexia and her mother Tess…will be coming out later in the story…either in the next chapter or the one after that!! Well thank you for your time and I shall now return to writing more of my story!!

            *~Audrey~*


	5. Flying

"It…sure…is c-cold…when P-Peter leaves," Slightly said as his teeth chattered. The rest of the Lost Boys nodded in agreement. They knew Peter had left because it had begun to snow.

            "I wonder…where he went," Nibs said while he rubbed his hands together.

            "Maybe he went to get us another brother," Said the twins.

            "Or…maybe he went to get us another mother!" Curly shouted so loud that the snow on top of their hideout fell to the ground with a soft plop. The rest of the boys nodded in agreement. They dearly would love to have another mother. 

  They continued to chat well into the evening, discussing what they would do when Peter would arrive back.

                                    *****************************************

  Alexia never knew flying could be so exhilarating. She had Belle tucked well inside her vest. Belle was having trouble keeping up and so she had put on Belle's leash and stuck her in her vest. 

            "Peter…this is amazing!!" She cried, as they got closer to the Earth's atmosphere.

            "Hold on….the best is yet to come!" He cried back and shot through the Earth's atmosphere and right into space. Alexia stopped right before going out…then seeing Peter's crystal blue-green eyes shining with excitement she took a breath and burst through the atmosphere. 

            "Where is the second star?" she asked as they flew beyond the moon.

            "It's coming up…grab hold of my ankle." He said and she did what he said. Excitement was pounding through her like a drummer pounding a bass drum on every accented beat. She knew that in a few minutes she would see Neverland…her many years of dreaming would come true. She closed her eyes and smiled broadly. In her vest, Belle was singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and then launched into Disney's Peter Pan song…the Second Star to the Right. 

            "Open your eyes, we're here." Peter floated backwards and watched Alexia's eyes as they spread open with delight. 

            "Oh my…" She flew along the ocean and skimmed her hands in the ocean. She was ahead of Peter and saw the island. It seemed to be awakening, for the sun was coming out from behind the clouds. The snow that had been falling from the sky ceased and began to melt from the island.

            "Come on….I'll show you the hideout." He said stopping at her hovering body.

            "Not if I beat you to it!" she laughed giggling innocently and heading towards the direction.

            "How do you know where it…" but she was too far ahead of him to hear him. He smiled and raced to catch up to her.

                                                ***********************************

            "Cap'n!! Cap'n!" a voice cried out on the ship. The pudgy man ran into the room. "Cap'n! Pan's back…and he's brought a girl wid him."

            He walked towards the red oak desk. Another man was looking at a map on the desk. This man was the most feared pirate around Neverland and to other pirates. His eyes were glazed from looking at the maps and in his one hand, he held a cigar. 

            "Cap'n?" the pudgy man asked. He bent over to look into the glazed eyes…but immediately regretted it.

            "Smee…how many times must I tell you when I am looking at me maps not to disturb me?" he said, sweetly almost yet with a hint of poison behind it.

            "But Cap'n…Pan's back…" Smee squeaked out but before he could back far away enough from the desk, the man grabbed him by the shirt with his free…hook.

            "Look Smee, do you no' think that I have noticed that Pan is back? I can hear the island coming alive, but as you do to well know, I am attempting to find his hideout. If I show up on the deck, all he'll do is mock me and suspect me of doing something…however, if I stay below deck….he won't suspect a thing but his curiosity will be unable to resist…he'll be drawn here like a bee to honey." By this time, Captain Hook had let go of Smee's shirt and left a nice rip in it.

            "Aye captain, I do understand…I think." Smee said scratching at what was left of his wizened gray hair.

            "Good…so Peter has brought back another girl. No doubt to become mother to those little lost brats." He said while taking a drag of his cigar. 

            The corner of Hook's mouth began to curl upwards as he stood up. "You know Smee; maybe…maybe I'm going about capturing Pan in the wrong fashion. Maybe if I took someone or something close to his heart, he'd have to give up." 

            "Well…you did try that once Cap'n and it didn't quite work." Smee piped up from behind Hook.

            "Yes. Yes, you are quite right, but maybe I went in the wrong direction. Smee, call the crew down here…I have a thought beginning to form." Hook said as he looked out the large window in his quarters. Smee nodded and backed out of the cabin slowly to do what his captain ordered.

                        *****************************************************

            Alexia landed, with a little more ease and grace than she did in the hotel room, in front of the tree house. Her face was flushed with excitement as she stood in front of the secret hideout. She knew where the opening was and so pulled on the vine. The door creaked open and she smiled. She felt like…well, as if she was coming home from a long trip. She stepped inside the doorway and the door slammed shut behind her. Taking a deep breath, she walked forward and then…felt the ground give out from under her. She laughed as she slid down into the main chamber of the hide out and slid right into a soft, plump body. The body sat up and looked at what hit him. Then… "Attack!!! We're under attack!" the boy cried and soon the other Lost Boys were up and had their weapons at Alexia's throat. Alexia, surprisingly, remained calm while Belle crawled out and began to imitate Jack Sparrow. 

            "Parh…Parsley, Parsnip, Parhlee, Parhloo…"

     Alexia rolled her eyes and commented "Belle…they are not pirates nor are we in Pirates of the Caribbean. These are the Lost Boys."

            "How dew you know who we are?" a boy with a mass of curly hair asked her, his arrow still at her throat.

    Alexia smiled, "You must be Curly." Then she slowly named off the rest of the Lost Boys, who stared in surprise and wonder at her.

            "Be you friend or foe?" Slightly asked.

            'She be mother." Another voice said from behind the Lost Boys. The boys spun around to look at Peter, who was sitting in his chair.

            "I was right!" Curly shouted and the rest of the Lost Boys chipped in what they had bet each other to where Peter had gone and what he would bring back. 

            When they had finished, they crowded around Alexia, asking her certain questions like "Where are you from?" and "How did you meet 'Father'?"

            Alexia laughed and began to tell them her sad tale and how she came to meet Peter. They laughed when she said that she had knocked Peter out with a mere pole. Peter turned red as the boys continued to torment him that a mere girl had knocked him out. "I knew she was behind me the whole time." Peter kept saying. Soon the boys were asking to hold Belle.

            "Sure. Line up and I'll let Belle sit on your arm." Alexia said as she looked at Belle.

            Slightly was first. Alexia took his arm and told Belle to step-up. Belle did without complaint. Soon, all the Lost Boys had their chance.

            "Would you like to try Peter?" Alexia asked, turning to face him. Peter looked at Belle who seemed to glare back at him with one eye.

            "Sure, why not." He walked towards Alexia with his arm held out in front of him. Alexia told Belle to step-up. Belle looked at Peter, then his arm with one eye. She held her foot out as if she was going to step up and then….

            "Ouch! That little monster bit me!" he cried as his arm retracted and looked at the nice wound that Belle gave him. Alexia, shocked that Belle would do such a thing, looked at the wound as well.

            "Peter, I-I'm sorry. She never did _that before." But she had a sneaking suspicion that Belle didn't like Peter._

            Peter glared at the bird and looked down at his arm, which was steadily bleeding. Alexia looked severely at her bird and scolded her. "Belle, you know better! Now apologize." 

            The bird looked from Alexia to Peter then back to Alexia before saying… "No!" With that said, the bird flew out of a tunnel that led to the outside. 

            "Belle!" Alexia cried but found it no use. She turned back towards Peter who was nursing his wound. "Peter, we must go find Belle. She's never been in a forest before and well…I don't trust her. She can be mischievous when she wants to."

            Peter looked back at Alexia, "Don't worry, she'll be fine. There is nothing here that she can get into trouble with." Then turning to look at the Lost Boys he grinned. "Come on Lost Boys, let's go get something to eat so Mother can cook it." The boys grabbed their various weapons and headed outside.

            "Peter…"Alexia begun as Peter headed out as well. He turned around and she was about to continue when he held up his hand. 

            "Do not worry, we'll keep a sharp eye out for her." With that said, he turned and headed out, leaving behind a very upset Alexia. 

            Alexia felt her blood begin to boil. How dare he make her stay there! She began to mutter obscenities under her breath while getting out the hideout. She wouldn't stay there while her friend was out there, possibly in danger. She tramped off in the opposite direction that Peter and the Lost Boys had gone. 

                                    **********************************

            Belle, meanwhile, was completely and utterly lost. She had flown around trying to find where the hideout was, but gave up. She had landed on a rock near the bay that opened up to the sea. She was sorry that she had left Alexia, but she wasn't sorry that she had bitten Peter. She would do it again if she had the opportunity. She kept reminding herself that Alexia would be worried. She hated to upset Alexia and realizing what she had done, Belle began to cry. Had she waited a few more minutes, she would have heard a person come up from behind her. She did, however, hear the voice say, "What's the matter pretty bird?"


End file.
